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Sapporo
Sapporo '(Japanese: 札幌, ''Sapporo; ''Ainu: ''Sat poro pet) is the capital and biggest city of Ezo, and home to Yukimasa Palace, where the Royal family resides. It is also home to many famous buildings, and it is the cradle of several historical events. Geography Sapporo is situated in the Ishikari region, western Ezo, on the coast of the northern Sea of Japan. It has a bay facing north, called Sapporo bay, which is the mouth of the Ishikari river (石狩川, Ishikarigawa), which flows right through the city as well as the Shinzen river (神川, Shinzen), which comes from the east, merging with the Ishikari river in front of the Palace, a place that is called the Tsukimi bay (Japanese: 月見浦, Tsukimiura) just before flowing into the Sapporo bay (Japanese: 石狩湾, Ishikariwan). The city is surrounded by two mountains, Mt. Ichi (Japanese: 市山, Ichiyama) to the west and Mt. Shinzen (Japanese: 神川山, Shinzen-san) to the east, the latter being the origin of the river of the same name. The Sapporo Lykogene is situated in the middle of the city, in a forest with a diameter of approximately 8 kilometres, through which the Ishikari river flows. Landmarks Yukimasa Palace (雪柾宮殿, Yukimasa Kyūden) The palace of the Yukida dynasty, which lies next to the Tsukimi bay, and can be reached via the Tsukimi Bay Bridge, Izumi bridge or the Sapporo Central Park. Sapporo Jinja (札幌神社, Sapporo Jinja) This is the great main shrine of Sapporo, having every feature a Ezoan shrine could have, like a Yamiden, a Sojinden and a Kasuga hall. It also has a path leading to a mausoleum of the ancient ancestors of the Royal family. In the Sakoku period, during the Purgation War, in which there was a Seresian attack on the Lykogene of Sapporo, Yukida Hakuji died, and he was buried in this mausoleum as well. Sapporo Central Park (札幌中園, Sapporo Nakazono) This is the park lying in the centre of the city. East of the park lies the shrine, to the north is the palace, and west of it flows the Ishikari river. In the middle of the park is a huge pond, and the park is renown for its cherry blossom viewing event each year. Shinzen Fortified Monastery (神川僧院, Shinzen Sōin) This is a monastery where warrior monks are trained, which lies on top of Mt. Shinzen. It is where most of Sapporo's monks come from, be it beggars on the street, or warriors in the army. It features a colossal belfry pagode, of which the bells can be heard in almost entire Sapporo. The temple is built on top of the spring of the Shinzen river, which is now actually in the primary building. Therefor the building is not built on a stone base, but merely on wooden structures adorning the spring, which lies a couple of metres in the ground. Sapporo Yuuya Bathhouse (札幌油屋, Sapporo Yūya) This is a large and ancient bathhouse which is built on top of a stone base lying in the Tsukimi Bay. It is connected to Hanagawa Alley by means of a 80 meter bridge, and features up to 15 big baths, as well as numerous rooms upstairs where the guests may take a rest for several days. The bathhouse is supervised by Aburame-sama, a spirit woman. Once every year, during summer solstice, the Procession of the Gods is held in the city, and countless gods and spirits come to pay a visit to the bathhouse to take a bath in the divine waters, in which mixtures of herbs and oils are added. The maids who work at the bathhouse, also live in the bathhouse, in the rooms in and on the stone base of the bathhouse, hanging on the stone walls like balconies and bay windows. Futarou Kakeba Casino (二楼賭場, Futarō Kakeba) This is the largest and most famous casino of Sapporo, and consists of a big four-storied building, with a roof terrace on top of it, as well as two massive towers, which give the building its name, and which are connected to eachother by means of a bridge, leading from one penthouse to the other. Not only does the building feature a huge fountain in the centre, which can be looked upon from the ground floor to the fourth floor, parlours for games such as mahjong and koi-koi, and places to eat, but also many a room upstairs where high quality opium can be smoked. The towers serve as a hotel, the rooms getting more expensive as they get higher, the most expensive rooms being the penthouses on top of the room. The two panorama rooms are, as beforementioned, connected to eachother with a bridge, and are therefor treated as if one hotel room. Island of the Statue (祖神島, ''Sōjinjima)' This small island lies in the Ishikari bay, and is home to the statue of Mizugen Sojin, one of the five Sojin, which are major gods in Ezoan Shintoism. The statue has a fierce posure, with his sword drawn, held in the air, as if leading an attack, and faces the Sea of Japan. This island also plays a major role in the Procession of the Gods, being the place where the gods and spirits enter the physical world, and embark on the spirit boats, which lead them to the mainland. Diamond Dome Arena (玻璃円蓋闘技場, Kongōyengai Tōgiba) The Diamond Dome is a big arena for martial arts, and it is designed like an amphitheatre, with for small towers on the room, with a big leadlight glass dome in the middle, which is the namesake of the arena. Several martial arts contests are held here, ranging from kendō to sumo, and it is a popular place for other shows as well. On top of the dome is an iron gorintō (five element pagoda), from which a large chandelier is suspended inside the dome. Also, there is a floating Shinto roof suspended from the ceiling, above the sumo ring, with the four colored tassels, like every sumo ring ought to have. The sumo ring can me mechanically lowered to ground level, in order to make a bigger field for other kinds of matches, like kendō or aikidō matches. Bridges of the Ishikari River There are several bridges in Sapporo that cross the Ishikari river, the first being the Great Ishikari Bridge. It is a big six-towered bridge, with a span of circa 500 meters, featuring a 80 meter drawbidge, that is, instead of just lifted on the ends of two parts, lifted in its entirity, by massive cables suspended from another bridge up high that connects the two middle towers of the great bridge, and which features a sacred Shimenawa rope, implying that the bridge is the gate to Sapporo. The second bridge is the Tsukimi Bay Bridge, which is also towered, with two towers on the drawbridge section and four on the other sections. This drawbridge is lifted in the regular way, but the big towers also feature a high bridge, from which a huge lantern is suspended. The bridge, apart from the drawbridge of course, is adorned with many buildings, houses and appartments, and even has its own clock tower on it, which is one of the four beformentioned towers. The bridge has a span of circa 300 meters. The third bridge is the Inari Bridge, which is a bridge with four towers on the drawbridge section, lacking a high bridge, but featuring even more buildings and houses than the Tsukimi Bay Bridge, and having a span of over 280 meters. The fourth bridge is the last tower drawbridge, and has 8 arches, which renders the bridge off-limits for vehicles. The fifth bridge is the first untowered bridge, also lacking a drawbridge, and consists of a one-arched way laying on eight supporting arches. After this bridge there is a famous section of the river where there are islets inhabited by Sapporoans, featuring rather tall buildings, and small bridges to the river bed. These islets are called the Village Islets (Japanese: 村の小島 Mura no Kojima). Districts Kiyota district (清田区, Kiyota-ku) This is regarded the old city centre of Sapporo, and houses the Palace, Tsukimi Bay, the Central Park and the Shrine, as well as the Sapporo Yuuya bathhouse and the Futarou casino. It is also home to the Hanagawa Alley, which is a road, adorned with long stone water basins in which countless floating lanterns brighten up the numerous food stalls and shops, as well as many prominent and expensive restaurants. It runs from the Futarou casino, ascending three times by means of stone stairs, leading all the way up to the batthouse. Renown buildings in this alley include Akafuke Teishoku, a restaurant selling almost any Sapporoan dish, Binchoutan Teppanyaki, a iron plate grill restaurant, Yoshiaki no Kaitenzushi, on of the oldest conveyor-belt sushi restaurants in Ezo, where the conveyor belts still work by means of the old weight powered system, and Ginzuru Izakaya, an izakaya (drinking establishment) which has many a visit from nobles under its nametag. Momitsubaki district (紅椿区, Momitsubaki-ku) This district lies south-west of the Futarou casino, and is regarded the city's primary entertainment district, as it features the large Tsubaki Hanamachi, where the Geisha of Sapporo reside, as well as Yuukaku (pleasure quarter), the only place in Sapporo where prostitution is legal, inhabited by many famous oiran. This district is home to many okiya (geisha houses), ochaya (teahouses) and ageya (entertainment venues). The location is very traditional, and walking around in it in casual clothing is frowned upon. Additionally, the entire district lacks any roads that are passable in any vehicle, with the exception of jinrikisha of course. Toyohira district (豊平区, Toyohira-ku) Toyohira, lying west of Kiyota, is the big financial district of Sapporo, with towering buildings and flats adorning the broad streets crowded with countless cars. This district is home to the famous Ame-no-Uzume ballroom (Japanese: 天宇受舞踏場, Amenouzume Butōba), as well as the most prominent Kabuki theatre of Ezo called the Zenibako-za (Japanese: 銭函座, Zenibakoza), and offers numerous other forms of entertainment, such as cinemas and music halls, such as the Toyohira Concert Hall (Japanese: 豊平音楽堂, Toyohira Ongakudō). Teine district (手稲区, Teine-ku) This district, lying south of the Momitsubaki, around the Ishikari river, is home to the famous Diamond Dome Arena (Japanese: 玻璃円蓋闘技場, Kongōyengai Tōgiba). The buildings are fashioned in a circular pattern around the Diamond Dome, like a cobweb, giving the district it's nickname, the Cobweb (Japanese: 蜘蛛の巣, Kumo-no-Su). Shiroishi district (白石区, Shiroishi-ku) A very densely built and populated area, this district is home to many of Sapporo's middle class inhabitants. It is also home to numerous criminal organizations, as well as one of Ezo's biggest Yakuza gangs, the Yoshiha-Kai, who have their main office in the Mizu-Shobai ("water trade", euphemism for night-time entertainment business) area of Shiroishi. The district is also known for being the place where the famous Shiroishi Hanneko Kyoukai origined, the anti-Seresian group that started the Purgation War in the Sakoku Period. Ironically, this district was severely hit by an outbreak of the cat plague only a few years later. Because it directly neighbors Kiyota, where the king resides, it was secluded from the rest of the city by means of huge barriers made of steel and concrete. Consequently, the people inside panicked and chaos arose within the enisled district, even though many soldiers patrolled the district, looking for the citizens who still had a chance of survival and sending them to quarantine for recovery, though often without result. People started to look for ways out of their death row, and began digging through the ground, which resulted in tall buildings collapsing. Eventually, even the floodbank had forsaken their survival, and collapsed, causing the district to flood, which brought to life the district's nickname as the Flooded District. After ensuring that the district and its inhabitants were not to be saved anymore, the district became to be used to store captives, and to drop of the numerous piles of contageous bodies. Atsubetsu district (厚別区, Atsubetsu-ku) Atsubetsu is the main industrial district of Sapporo, featuring many harbours and wharfs, hangars and factories, and lots of slaughterhouses for the fish collected by the fishermen who disembark here. Many workers live in or around their factories, most often in very small rooms with bare matresses. After Shiroishi became the Flooded Districts, some dozens of factories near the barrier were abandoned out of fear for the plague. The conditions in this district are rather poor, and it is not quite the pinnacle of beauty of Sapporo. Kotoni district (琴似区, Kotoni-ku) This district is the legal district of Sapporo, featuring many offices, courts and the like, and, most importantly, the Palace of Justice, which is the giant building that covers up the whole law system of Ezo. Due to this building becoming the headquarters of the Republicans more than fifty years after the nuclear war in 1989, this district became a vivid battlefield in the Saisei period. Okadama district (丘珠区, Okadama-ku) Okadama, a very traditional and beautiful district, is known for its many small temples and onsens. The religious aspect of Ezoan culture is very present here, resulting in many festivals and the like. The biggest temple here is Okadama Inari Jinja, lying at the foot of Mt. Shinzen, and next to the Reaper's lake, named for its numerous accounts of spirit-like reapers being seen reaping in the mist over the lake. At the center of the lake, its waters blackened by the natural tar ocurring underneath it, lies an island, where a Hakuyami sanctuary is situated. Kita district (北区, Kita-ku) Kita district is inhabited by upper middle class residents, as well as a considerable part of upper class. Some very important and influencial people own big, marble-decorated villas in this district. One of these is the Murata residence, owned by Murata Kaneo, a member of the Royal family, which is situated on Sekizen Alley, a famous alley known for its moat-like waterway running in between the two stone sidewalks, connected to eachother by means of numerous stone single-arched bridges. Aside from a couple of residences of rich Kanryou bureaucrats, of which one is Sapporo's head judge, Ueda Shuusei, it is home to the Sovyet Russian embassy, as well as the Fukaro embassy. Higashi district (東区,Higashi-ku) This district is home to the lower working class of Sapporo, and is densily built with houses and flats, as well as industrial compounds like factories or hangars. It is home to the main power plant of Sapporo, which works on geothermal steam power. It was built on a place where fairly large volcanic activity was found in the old coal mine of Sapporo. The part that was still safe to work in is still in existance and active today, but the volcanic part is used for the power plant. There are special guarded roads in this district for armored carriages that carry the gold that is mined in the gold mine that is also in this district, in order not to let it get robbed by the countless poor people there. Nishi district (西区, Nishi-ku) Nishi district, being inhabited of Sapporo's middle class, is not very densely built, and without many tall buildings. It is where most of Sapporo's businessmen live, who work in Kiyota. They enjoy, although they can't be called rich, considerable wealth. The houses are built in a very traditional style, and known for their copper green roofs. Here and there, charming small rivers flow, and grass-covered hills arise, between the houses, giving the district its rather natural look. This is contrasted, though in a beautiful way, with the elevated arched railways on which the businessmen travel in Nishi's steam trams, together with the elaborate, temple-like tram stations that stand on tall stone bases. Its most famous feature is what people call the Kawamura (River Village), which is a part of the Ishikari river that is between two and three times as wide as the most of the river, on which numerous houses are built, standing on poles above the water, narrowing the river to its average size. Minami district (南区,Minami-ku) This district is also densely inhabited, but it features averagely high buildings, up to four or five storeys, allowing for broader streets than the ones in Nishi. A considerable part of the inhabitants of Higashi consists of Seresians, and because of this, it became home to the infamous walled districts that held the Seresians of entire Sapporo captive during the Sakoku period. These districts, although mostly deserted, are still in existance, and home to lots of criminals, mainly Seresians that survived the Purgation War. Once every few months, squads of the Sapporo Defense Force still make their round in the district, apprehending any criminal they find, and once every year there is a commemorative procession of military organizations going through the district, an event called the Burning Procession. Trivia * In reality, Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido, does not share much similarity with the Little World version. In fact, Sapporo is not at all based upon its real-life counter part, except for some district and river names. * The districts of Sapporo are either based on or show influence of real-life locations, locations in Avatar: The Legend of Aang, in Avatar: The Legend of Korra, and in Bethesda's game Dishonored. For example, Shiroishi (later called the Flooded District) shares clear resemblance with the Flooded District of Dunwall (Dishonored); Nishi, with its green roofs and elevated railways, is based on the middle ring of Ba Sing Se (The Legend of Aang), and Higashi on its lower ring. Atsubetsu is based on the Slaughterhouse Row in Dunwall, and Toyohira on is based on downtown Republic City (The Legend of Korra). Momitsubaki is based on the hanamachi in traditional Kyoto, and Atsubetsu before its downfall on 1920's Shanghai. * Some buildings in Sapporo are also based on or show influence of those locations mentioned above, among others. For example, the Island of the Statue is based on Aang's Statue near Republic City (The Legend of Korra); the Sapporo Yuuya Bathhouse is based on Yubaba's bathhouse (Spirited Away); the Palace of Justice is based on the building of the same name in Brussels, and the Diamond dome shows resemblance with the colosseum in Rome; and the bridges were inspired by Kaldwin's Bridge in Dunwall (Dishonored). * One of the most renown confections specifically from Sapporo, white chocolate, is based on real-life Shiroi Koibito from Sapporo. * Sapporo is the first place in the entire Little World to have known steam powered machinery, the first locomotive running as early as 1389. However, it was not allowed by religion to exploit this technology, given to man by the gods, until the Sakoku period, on their conquest to save the Reynaerdian people.